Fastening device.



w E. HOFFMAN.

FASTENING DEVIOE.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 11, 1909.

Patented Sept 19, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EMERY HOFFMAN, OF SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FASTENING DEVICE.

To all whom it may con'cem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Earner HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sunbury, in the county of N orthumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fastening devices primarily intended for use in connection with the flexible straps which are secured to the staves or boards of knockdown barrels, boxes or the like and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character which may be quickly and easily operated to sustain the band upon the staves, and the staves upon the head of the box or barrel.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description progresses, the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the improvement and in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved locking and sustaining device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lever which may be employed for sliding the members of the locking device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a barrel illustrating the improvement in position thereof. Fig. 4 is a front elevation partly in section of the locking and fastening device, the parts being shown in sect-ion to more clearly illustrate the invention. Fig. 5 is a similar view, the members having their teeth forced out of engagement with each other. Fig. 6 is a sectional view upon the line m-w of Fig. 4. Fi 7 is an end elevation of the device.

is is well known to the art, barrels and boxes intended for dry measures comprise a plurality of staves or members which are each fastened together by a suitable securing element attached to a flexible band, the latter encircling the said box or barrel and has its free endsgenerally provided with loops or openings whereby the said ends are secured together and the device is set up. This construction allows the said box or barrel to be folded compactly into a small package and shipped at a greater redpced Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1908.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911. Serial No. 532,617.

rate than when in its set up position. The means for fastening the ends of the flexible straps are, however, crude and unreliable and it will be apparent that should these ends become disconnected the box or barrel is rendered utterly useless.

In the accompanying drawings and referring particularly to Fig. 3 thereof, the nu meral 1 designates an ordinary knockdown barrel. This barrel comprises the usual head 2 and the staves 3 which are each connected with a flexible metallic strap 4 in any desired or preferred manner. The numeral '5 designates the improved tightening and fastening device. This device 5 comprises a pair of members 6 and 7. Each of the members 6 and 7 have their outer ends slitted as at 8 whereby the free ends of the strap 4 are secured to the members 6 and 7. The member 6 comprises a flattened element which is substantially rectangular in cross section and which has one of its edges provided with teeth 9. The member 7 is provided with a housing designated by the numeral 10. The said housing is of greater width than the width of the member 6 and one of the inner edges of the said housing is provided with teeth 11 which engage with the teeth 9 of the member 6. In order to force the said member 6 into engagement with the teeth of the member 7, the lower wall of the compartment is provided with a flattened spring 12 which bears against the under face ofthe said member 6 and effectively forces the teeth 9 into engagement with the teeth 11. It will be noted by reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings that the flattened bow s ring 12 has one of its ends positioned wit in a pocket 0: arranged upon the lower wall of the housing 10, while the said lower wall of the housing adjacent the opposite end of the opening 13 is formed with a suitable bail I; through which the opposite end of the spring 12 is adapted to project. By this arrangement it will be noted that when the member 6 is to have its teeth retracted from their engagement with the teeth 11 of the housing, the said spring 12 will offer little resistance, and thus providing means whereby the members 6 and 10 may be easily and quickly separated when desired. In order to provide for the withdrawal of the teeth 9 when the members are to be separated I have cut away the under face and portions of the sides of the housing 10. By this arrangement it will be noted that I have provided a finger hole 13 whereby the sides of the member 6 may be readily grasped and the two elements separated.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have illustrated a means for slidably adjusting the members 6 and 7. As illustrated in these figures I have provided a bar 1 1 having one of its faces provided with a projecting offset finger and being also provided with spaced teeth or depressions 16. The numeral 17 designates the lever for the device. This lever or handle member proper is provided with a rectangular cut away portion 19 which is adapted to straddle the bar or member 14 and which has a pintle 20 adapted to engage between the teeth or depressions 16. The member 17 is provided with a suitable teeth 21 adjacent this cut away portion or housing 19 and the said tooth is adapted to engage the end of the member 6 connected with the strap 4 while the offset finger of the member 14 engages the wall provided by the cut away portion 13 provided by the member 7. By this construction of course it will be noted that a great amount of leverage is provided by the member 14 so that the members 6 and 7 may be freely slid upon each other and the ends of the straps & be effectively tightened.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is I A device of the class described comprisgular member connected at one end to an end of the strap, the said member having one of its edges formed with a plurality of teeth, and a housing secured to the opposite end of the strap, the said housing having one of its walls formed with teeth arranged at an opposite pitch to the teeth of the rectangular member and adapted to coact therewith, the housing having a cutaway portion adapted to serve as a fingerhold, the wall of the housing adjacent one side of the cut away portion being provided with a pocket, the said wall adjacent the opposite side of the cut away portion being formed with a bail, a bow spring secured within the pocket and having its free end mounted to slide within the bail and adapted to exert pressure so as to force the teeth of the rectangular member into engagement with the teeth of the housing.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM EMERY HOFFMAN.

\Vitnesses:

J. W. SoHorrsTALL, ALICE BUYERS.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

mg a yieldable strap, an elongated rectan- 

